Archives

Baked on the Bright Side

Pasta Lovers Rejoice!

January 28, 2013

Growing up, pasta dishes were a staple amongst my favorite weekly dinners. Once working as a full-time nanny, it seemed as though “Spaghetti,” “Bolognese,” “Alfredo,” and “Lasagna” were buzz words that instantly grabbed the attention and gleaming smiles of my little ones. But, lets not ignore that as adults, pasta is still one of our most popular meals here in the states.

For those of us forced to eat Gluten-Free, the absence of pasta has been one of our biggest sacrifices, especially for family dinners. Fortunately, the future for Gluten Free pasta lovers is looking brighter than ever before! In most cases I found that consumers must pay a premium for Gluten Free pasta, but the higher price tag is money well spent. Gluten-Free pasta will always be significantly fresher than the vast majority of wheat-based pasta we find at the grocer. Additionally, most Gluten-Free pasta companies use non-GMO and organic ingredients. However, it’s always best to be safe and read the ingredients list upon your first purchase!

Upon personal experience and research I found some excellent Gluten-Free pasta. RP’s Pasta Company (www.rpspasta.com) has received the most positive overall reviews with Gluten-Free consumers nationwide. RF’s linguini pasta is their biggest hit. The pasta’s ingredients include brown rice flour, potato starch and eggs.

One can find RP’s sold in Whole Foods locations nationwide. If you are too far away from a Whole Foods location or you prefer to shop at your local natural/G.F. market here’s a link to RP’s store locator: http://bit.ly/qC7SZD .

For Colorado readers, if you are having a special occasion and want to try some “out of this world” G.F. pasta, try Cappellos (cappellosglutenfree.com). Cappellos is a small, Denver based company that specializes in making almond flour-based pasta. Many higher-end restaurants in the Denver/Boulder area use Cappellos pasta on their G.F. menus. Cappellos makes gnocci, fettuccine and lasagna. Here is a link to the Colorado grocers that carry Cappellos: http://bit.ly/WiuhJb . If you are not a Colorado resident, you can purchase Cappellos online through their website.

Here are some other great Gluten-Free Pasta brands!

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta (quinoa.net)

Jovial Foods Gluten-Free Pasta (www.jovialfoods.com)

Schar Gluten-Free Pasta (www.schar.com)

Tinkyada Rice Pasta (www.tinkyada.com)

Without a doubt, taking time to cook dinner is both an excellent way to draw a strong daily connection with your family as well as gain the knowledge of exactly what they are putting into their bodies. However, it becomes extremely time-consuming and frustrating to assume the role of “short-order cook” as we try to satisfy non-Gluten diets. Thanks to these gluten-free pasta companies, we can now reincorporate an old “highlight meal-of-the-week” with a healthier, great tasting Gluten-Free twist!